Penza, 9 June 2014. PenzaNews. The opening ceremony of the first session of the district defense and sports camp “Gvardeets-2” was held in Penza on Monday, June 9.

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Future soldiers from the Penza, Samara, Saratov and Ulyanovsk regions, Bashkortostan, Mordovia and Crimea were greeted by the Assistant presidential envoy in the Volga Federal District Yuri Zolotarev.

Also, the ceremony was attended by the chairman of the Legislative Assembly of the Penza region Ivan Belozertsev, who reminded that “Gvardeets-2” is held in the region for the second time in 2014.

“You did the right thing to have come here. This is an important event in your life. You understand what military comradeship, friendship, support are, what discipline is, how it feels to be true men, defending the motherland,” the speaker of the regional parliament said.

The representatives of regional federations of airmodelling and parachuting performed at the ceremony.

Then the veteran of the Battle of Stalingrad Vladimir Kerkhanadzhev addressed to the students.

“On behalf of World War II veterans I salute and congratulate you on the beginning of the camp period. Feel particularly proud, because today we have here the representatives of the Crimea, Russian Crimea,” he stressed.

It is expected that for two weeks, the teenagers will live on the territory of Penza Artillery Engineering Institute. They will compete in strength and endurance, learn what soldier life is, will be able to communicate with combat officers, appreciate military equipment. In addition, the participants of the camp are to go on interesting excursions.

Defense and sports camp “Gvardeets-2” was held in 2013 in Penza in two sessions. The first one operated from June 24, and the second one was opened on July 14.

Simultaneously, the Nizhny Novgorod region organized camp “Gvardeets-1.”

Under the program, young people aged 13-17 years studied military science, had tactical training in the field and took part in sports competitions.

It was planned that the two camps will change their location each year, but then it was decided to entrust them to the Penza and Nizhny Novgorod regions.